


Victoria Chase Was Here

by Vereesa



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Eventual Max/victoria, F/F, Suicide mention, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 00:31:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7383730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vereesa/pseuds/Vereesa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maxine Caulfield shouldn't exist, she was sure of it. In every reality and time line that swirled in her head and memories. But Max Caulfield will live. On a rainy Saturday evening Max stumbles upon a gift she never expected. And now she must save Victoria's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Victoria Chase Was Here

**Author's Note:**

> Scratched in the table, like text from an old scripture in perfect, curving and swooping manicured writing; “Victoria Chase was here”.

 

Max wasn’t supposed to exist.

 

Through all the time traveling and alternate, fucked up realities, dead Chloe's and missing Rachel's (and even in some realities being the reason for both), hours spent staring at childhood photos stirring them to change the outcome of the storm, and even in some cases completely avoiding becoming friends with Chloe Price… Max concluded, that one Maxine Caulfield was never meant to exist. 

 

It was on this day, ironically a stormy Saturday, when she looked down on the courtyard below, that Max concluded her existence was in fact in direct correlation to Rachel Amber going missing and Chloe Price needing to be sacrificed. 

 

Like some kind of fucked up trinity, Max thought, that all three were supposed to die. 

 

Almost nonchalantly, Max dangled her feet off the ledge that a Kate Marsh of many had fallen off before Max finally saved her. 

 

Always saving.    
  


Arcadia Bay saved, Victoria lives, Kate lives, Warren lives, Chloe dies. Max never forgets. 

 

Kate lives, Victoria lives, Warren lives, Arcadia bay is destroyed. They die. Chloe lives. Chloe never forgets. 

 

Max never leaves Arcadia Bay, Chloe never meets Rachel Amber, Rachel Amber dies. Max tries again. 

 

The cycle repeats, and someone dies, and Max grows weary of each reality she pops into before she resurfaces on her original reality, Chloe dies in the bathroom and Max tries. Max tries to live. 

 

Because it’s what Chloe asked. Her Chloe. 

 

Max never forgets. 

 

The brunette swung her legs back to safety and slowly made her trek back to her dorm room. Max Caulfield will live today, because Chloe Price told her to.

 

Max smiled bitterly, pushing the large metal Roof Access doors open and lazily descending the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. Below chatter echoed through paper thin walls. 

 

It was against school policy to keep roof access unlocked, but the prior resignation of one David Madson after the loss of his step daughter Blackwell Academy hired one incompetent campus security guard after the other (each one promptly fired immediately for either not attending work hours or turning blind eyes to campus fights.). Max touched the door and hummed, listening to the murmur of laughter. It was cold to the touch, and sometimes at night had such an ominous frame cascaded in the shadows-  _ What kind of world does this? Who does this??  _ \- Max shook the memory, tracing the words etched just beneath the metal crash bar. 

 

_ Love, Rachel Amber _ . 

 

It had been months since Chloe’s death, but Rachel Amber’s missing person photos littered the halls like a solemn epitaph. Her body never found. Max wondered if there was a timeline where Nathan confessed, Rachel was found and the American Rust was demolished. No more Rachel Amber, Chloe Price, Max Caulfield… 

 

_ Chloe was here _

_ Rachel IS here _

_ Max was here _

 

Max shook her head, once more. Palm flying to her forehead as though it would quell the swelling ache. 

 

“Oh my god,” Max glanced up and caught Victoria Chase sneering at her, “Well isn’t it nice for the star photographer, Max fucking Caulfield to grace us with her presence.” 

 

The taller girl circled her in a predatory fashion, Max ignored her. Thinking about the weird memory that in some reality Victoria was  _ her _ follower. Max shrugged silently, earning a scowl.

 

“Some of us busted our asses for that contest you know.” 

 

Max frowned, not wanting to get into it. Her head pounded, unconsciously she raised her hand, promptly dropping it to her side when she realized it wasn’t worth it anymore. She grimaced lamely, “I didn’t rig the results Victoria, give me a break.” 

 

“No, you just got a pity win. On top of that you had the audacity to give your trip to that fucking-” 

 

“Kate Marsh deserved better than to deal with your bullshit for so long. Hell, Blackwell Academy deserves better than you.” Max shoved Victoria gently, a growl in her throat, “Give me a fucking break Victoria, don’t you think we’ve had enough of you? I thought you had at least an ounce of decency when you took her video down after what happened to Nathan, but I guess I was wrong. Go figure, Victoria Chase doesn’t give a fuck about who she rolls over so long as she finds herself on the right side of the tracks at the end of the day. Its always image for you, but you’re just a pathetic teenager like the rest of us, struggling to make your parents happy because they don’t want to put their own daughters works in their studio-” 

 

“How the fuck did you know that-” 

 

Max rewound time. 

 

“Some of us busted our asses for that contest you know.” 

 

Max shrugged half heartedly, opened her door and slammed it on Victoria’s face. 

  
Because even Max had to admit none of the things Victoria said were true. And she knew none of the malice in her own voice was real. She didn’t mean the words she even said.

 

And Max hated it. 

  
She hated knowing the truth about everyone at the school, hated knowing who they were and what they went through, hated having unnecessary knowledge from different versions of herself about different versions of  _ them _ . Hated realities where Nathan was half-decent and called himself her best friend next to Victoria. 

 

The small girl wanted to be angry, wanted to scream and cry and destroy Arcadia Bay but she knew. She knew no one deserved it and she saw it so many times struggling behind the fire in her best friend’s eyes, “ _ I’d like to drop a bomb on Arcadia Bay and turn it to fucking glass. _ ” 

 

_ They all deserve better, Max.  _

 

Max slid down her door and collapsed into silent tears, the heavy rain thudding hard against her window. 

 

Birds, and blood and storms. Max thought. 

 

Max Caulfield was never meant to exist. 

 

* * *

 

  
  


_ Thmp. _

 

Max jostled awake, back arching and slamming against her dorm door. She blinked, once, twice. 

 

_ THMP. _

 

Startled again, Max stood blinking groggily around her room. “Yes?” She stammered, pressing her ear to the door only to be met by another thud, and silence. Max frowned, working her shoulder. Assuming it was probably the boys from the floor above. Nathan’s Vortex Club flunkies had taken it upon themselves to harass Max for a week during his trial. Considering it was on hold currently, go figure his father would have the influence to delay something as severe as that, she wouldn’t put it past them to go at it again. 

 

When silence was met by silence for a span of ten minutes, the young woman finally opened her door to nothing. She stepped out and glanced down the hallway, catching no sight of any boys or fellow floor mates she stepped back into her room. 

 

That is, not before her foot caught on something that caused her to slip. 

 

In a fashion that would seem comical had the floor not been vacated of its usually residents (partly due to the late hour), Max fell on her rear waving her hands frantically, her head snapping back as she landed causing a sudden rush of whiplash. With an irritated growl, she looked down to her feet and fell into a fit of coughs. 

 

She scrambled to grab the object and fled into her room, knowing it was something she shouldn’t let anyone see. 

 

Max stumbled and tripped over discarded clothing, books, and homework packets before jerking her chair from under her desk and sitting, gawking silently at  her hands. 

 

Max Caulfield held a polaroid, three faces beaming back at her as if they had found the greatest treasure in the world. Chloe Price, Rachel Amber and Max, herself. 

 

Max squinted, just between Chloe and Rachel’s heads, freshly etched on a metal door: 

 

_ Love, Rachel Amber.  _

 

* * *

 

 

The flash popped brightly and Max blinked several times. As many selfies as she took with the thing, it never compared to the brightness of phasing into another self’s reality. Max blinked again, the low muffled murmurs slowly growing louder in a storm of white noise. 

 

“Hey, Earth to Major Max.” A hand waved before her face, causing the girl to jump slightly. “Whoa dude, you look like you haven’t slept in  _ weeks _ suddenly. Hope your bags didn’t catch the flash.” Chloe grinned, passing Max’s signature camera into her hands. Dumbfounded as always Max just stared. She could never get used to seeing Chloe, alive again. Hearing her voice. It didn’t matter much, the moment she phased into a reality she was out again within seconds. Kicked back into the original where Chloe is dead, Rachel is dead.  _ Max shouldn’t exist _ . 

 

She blinked again, next to Chloe stood Rachel Amber, resuming her immortalization on the Roof Access door. Max’s heart caught, she was as beautiful as Chloe had told her, even more so. Though the girl hadn’t spared a glance at Max yet, she held a commanding presence that would put Victoria’s to shame. To Max, rather, she screamed “let’s be friends” and not “fuck off”. 

 

In that moment it had occurred to Max. 

 

The shorter girl grabbed the Blondes arm, and without thinking blurted: “You brought me here. You were missing, you were the doe and you led me and Chloe to your body you brought us to the truth.. And the storm, the storm.. ” She glanced anxiously at Chloe who was as wide eyed as she felt, “you died! You told me to go back in time and--”  

 

Rachel blinked, glanced at Chloe and blinked again. “Um…. did you snatch Chloe’s stash before we met up?”

 

Nonchalantly Chloe waved, “Maybe she’s still on that role playing shit Geek Wonder Warren brought over the other night.” 

 

Reflexively, Max waved her hand in front of her, the two looked at her confused for a moment before time reversed. Rachel’s expressions moved backwards, confused to happy to concentrated as she scratched diligently at the door with Chloe’s pocket knife. 

 

Max was holding Rachel’s arm and she looked up at her, half-smile on her face, “what’s up Super Max?”

 

“What are you writing there,” Max asked this time, timidly almost afraid that her voice would break the fabric of time and send her to a world where none of this mattered. 

 

The taller girl butted in between them, “Rachel’s immortalizing herself on this shit pit, now that she’s landed that modeling gig Bigfootville is going to be like a mirage once we hit LA.” 

 

“Chloe,” Max smiled at her excited best friend, “isn’t a mirage, like, something you greatly desire.”  _ Like this.  _

 

She hummed for a moment, studied max and then flicked her nose, “no one likes a know it all.” 

 

“Okay, but remember that Astronomy phase you went through in Junior High….” 

 

“That was only one week Max, please…”

 

“Whatever you say Space Ace.” 

 

“Max, Chloe, please.” Rachel grinned tugging both of them behind her, “let’s blow for the ‘Whales before Chloe gets all Attack of the Clones on us.” . 

 

Almost instinctively Max pulled away, “Are you sure? I mean we could chill here for a little while longer..” Max knew that the moment the doors opened she’d see the bright white barrier that always meant it was just a memory. She didn’t want to lose Chloe yet, and not Rachel. Not now, not when she finally met her. 

 

Rachel Amber smiled at her gently, “I brought you here, it’s okay.” 

 

Max blinked, “What?”

 

This time Rachel looked confused, “I said we can come back later, I wanna see Max Attack in action with that camera.”

 

“Right…” Max fumbled, rubbing her temple as a dull ache surfaced. Too much time in one memory, and she knew that the ache would grow. The doors flew open and Max slowly opened her eyes. 

 

Only to get a confused look from Chloe Price, who, for some reason was still standing in front of her, “seriously, you okay Max? Not gonna crash during our big celebration are you?”

 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Chloe.” Max said weakly, in a voice that sounded so unlike hers before she passed out. 

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey look, you really shouldn’t just leave her alone here like that. What if she wakes up soon?” 

 

“Call an Uber?” 

 

“That’s not even funny Chloe, she’s like your best friend.” 

 

“Yeah until she left me behind for the big city-”    
  


“She didn’t mean that. You know that. She’s spent all year making that up to you. You remember how excited you were when she finally told you she was coming back? Who's the reason you submitted an application for Blackwell in the first place? You owe it to her.” 

 

“Mm….” 

 

“Just stick around rock star, it’s not going to harsh the buzz.” 

 

“We were supposed to celebrate today!”

 

“We always have tomorrow.” 

 

Max groaned silently, voices carrying from a distance yet sounded like they were rotating in her head and buzzing out of her ears like loud speakers. Her eyes fluttered open lazily before shutting immediately to bright light. Almost instinctively a rush of pain met her forehead and the girl cried out, palming her eyes to stop the sharp, violent migraine. 

 

“Hey- hey Max it’s okay, chill dude.” Warm hands gripped her wrists and pulled them down. The brunette’s protest died on her tongue as a third hand stroked her forehead. 

 

“Her fever is down at least, we don’t have to take her to a hospital…” Rachel Amber, Max thought, truly sounded like an Angel when her eyes were screwed shut. Her migraine melted against the girl’s warm palm and disappeared with her hand. Slowly, Max opened her eyes and glanced around the room. Her room. She frowned, pushing herself off her bed. 

 

“You good?” Chloe sounded off, her voice ringing with irritation, “you were spouting like, blood and shit from your nose.” 

 

“A little more tact, Chloe,” Rachel snorted, Chloe rolled her eyes in defeat. 

 

“Okay, you like, not going to bleed anymore or something?”

 

Max smiled weakly, same old Chloe, loud and stubborn and angry at the world even with Rachel at her side. “I think I’m fine,” she offered with a shrug, “you guys really should go out now, it’s starting to get late.” 

 

To her surprise, the blue haired punk raised her hands in protest, “no way, you’ve been my best friend for years and I’m not going to let you miss my other best friend’s going away party.”

 

Quirking an eyebrow the other girl crossed her arms, “Oh? You weren’t saying that while I was waking up.”

 

“You heard that?? Oh c’mon!” 

 

“Seriously Chloe, we’ve been friends for how long? Pretty sure if you complained about it enough you’d wake me from a coma.” Max chuckled and Rachel grinned. 

 

A strange pit formed in Max’s stomach as Chloe’s scowl slowly melted into a small laugh. She wasn’t used to it, seeing her alive like this. Happy. The taller teen flopped on top of Max with a Whumpf! That forced the air out of her lungs. Rachel scolded her, something about being careful before being dragged down in the tight hug that Max only half returned. 

 

Chloe is dead. Rachel is dead. 

 

Max slowly closed her eyes and melted into the darkness. 

  
  
  


* * *

 

 

Max sat in her chair and stared Idly out the window, a light tapping jerked her to awareness. She frowned, holding the polaroid in her hand. Unsure what reality she was in, or whether she would open the door to another photo, another Max’s memory--- and who even left it there in the first place? Who wanted to torture her like this? The tap came louder, turning into an impatient bang and forcing Max to ghost across her room and open the door. 

 

“Geez,” Chloe huffed, stuffing her her hands in her pockets. “You haven’t like, answered the door in  _ weeks _ . You nearly gave me a heart attack right now.”

 

“Sorry,” Max offered lamely, “Not feeling good.” 

 

Chloe tugged the photograph from her hand, “man you still have this thing? I thought you gave it to Rachel before she left,” she grinned, “shit it feels like it’s been ages since we’ve seen her.” 

 

Max rattled her brain for something intelligent to say. Chloe wasn’t sad, so that meant Rachel was still alive. So why was Max in her own room for so long, she fumbled with her shirt. 

 

“Anyway, c’mon. Rachel’s visiting today and I thought, you know maybe you’d wanna come out… for old times sakes..” Chloe rubbed her forehead nervously, “I know things’ve been rough with what happened to Kate…” 

 

Max’s eye twitched and memories from other realities flooded back into her head, Kate falling, the crowd below. “Super Max” being yelled tauntingly at her in the halls for weeks.  _ Its all Max’s fault Kate is dead. _ Max frowned deeply, hoping this reality would be different, that everyone would live. 

 

“Kate..” Max started, almost pushing out the door. 

 

“Hey, it’s okay Max, she’s still in the hospital you did good.” Max stumbled, relief filling her lungs like crisp spring air. “We can visit her on the way, you really took the situation hard. I know you guys were close, I shouldn’t have yelled at you for being at her side so much after Rachel left. I’m really sorry.” Her tall friend fiddled with the beanie in her hand, “S’just, after our fight you locked yourself up for weeks, then that shit with Jefferson guy you idolize... and then a few days ago Kate tried to….. I was scared that uh, that something happened and stuff…” 

 

Without thinking, Max tugged Chloe into a tight embrace that lasted for what seemed like minutes, frowning against the taller girl’s shoulder. When their hug finally finished Chloe pulled away sheepishly. “So uh, we’re cool?”

 

“Yeah, Chloe.” Max smiled, “ice cold.” 

 

“Lame.” She huffed, “I’ll wait while you get ready.” 

  
  


* * *

 

 

The trip to the hospital was short and uneventful, Chloe tapped her steering wheel anxiously. Max knew better than to bring up small talk when she got like that, and instead favored her window for the trip. Thick droplets of water splattering heavily and smearing across as they drove along. 

 

It was Chloe who cleared her throat first, “do you think Kate’s gonna be happy to see you?”

 

Max hummed silently, “She always is….” her words tapered off before she caught herself, “she had a really hard time and she liked hanging out when we could. She was always happy to see me for our tea dates so I’m sure she’ll be excited. It’s been way too long.” 

 

Chloe beamed, “That’s why you’re Super Max.” 

 

Max nodded numbly, glanced out her window and turned back to Chloe, “what's up?” When Chloe finally spared her a confused look Max gestured vaguely, “you’re all worked up about something.” 

 

“Just…” Chloe paused, looking back at the road and frowning, “just missed her a lot, that's all. Missed you too. I got so mad, I felt like everyone was leaving me, Rachel, you….” 

 

“It’s okay Chlo,” Max nodded, “It's been a weird week. I’m just still surprised you stayed here. It's like. Your dream to get out of the Twilight Zone.”

 

“Not okay, Max,” Chloe shook her head slowly, “and Rachel convinced me to stay really, she said I should take care of my mom. Whatever that means. Old ladies tough as nails, she could probably survive a hurricane. Her and the Two Whales would be the last things standing.” Max’s stomach lurched, “God knows she survived me this long.” 

 

“Joyce loves you.” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

* * *

 

 

Their visit with Kate Marsh went without a hitch, surprisingly to Max even Chloe sheepishly stood in the room, fidgeting with her beanie and offering small words of awkward encouragement. Max wondered if it was Chloe’s odd redemption for gnashing at her about spending time with Kate. 

 

Max never grew tired of visiting Kate, no matter what reality it was Kate showed her the same cute drawings on her pad, a small smile cracking her face. Max wondered what it was like to be Kate Marsh, forgiving and free. She grabbed the card at Kate’s bedside table, for the sake of show Max picked up the card and scanned the signatures, half surprised “VICTORIA CHASE” wasn’t scrawled with rehearsed words of encouragement. Shaking her head, Max sighed and placed the card back on the table.

 

Kate offered a solemn smile, “Its a shame what happened.” She said quietly. Max tilted her head, feeling as though something was off her script, but decided best not to follow up. 

 

Play it by the script, the storm comes, everyone dies. 

* * *

 

  
  


Rachel and Chloe sang a boisterous chorus to “Pretty Woman”. It almost felt like home  to Max, sitting between the two as they belted chords out of tune with the singer. Like she lived the scene so many times. Grabbing Rachel at the airport was the easiest part of the day, but also the hardest. Max was never good with talking to people she barely knew, and the Max she lived in knew Rachel Amber for more than a year. Currently, Max was going off of a week, Relying on Chloe’s offhand commentary and familiarness. She sat silently between the two, relishing in the odd, unacted happiness. An hour ago she was faking an exaggerated “welcome home” when Rachel walked out of the terminal in a fit that would put Victoria’s typical day by day theatrics to shame. 

 

Max noted, in the time she’d been coherent she ran into a lack of rude jabs and sneers. She shifted uncomfortably, still bothered by Kate’s card. 

 

Chloe noticed immediately, wringing and elbow around Max’s neck at the stop light and forcing her to sing the next line. 

 

When they arrived at the Two Whales Joyce and a few of their friends were seated at a table. It took a moment for Max to realize it was a welcome home party, even as streamers popped at the trio. 

 

“It was Chloe’s idea wasn’t it,” Rachel laughed, hopping into their usual booth, Max followed suit as Joyce gave them both a knowing smile. 

 

“Whatever I wouldn’t do something this lame,” Chloe retorted, sliding next to Max with a slight blush. “Its whatever….” She added uncharacteristically as the girl opposite Max smirked at her. 

 

Max’s hand idly skirted along the tabletop, feeling indentations of years of graffiti. She traced them silently as the party slowly toned into a quiet murmur in the back of her head. Too tired to enjoy something she never should have been a part of. She wondered where other Max’s went when she invaded their lives, wondered if they had to watch her change reality, fuck it up, and leave them behind with the mess. 

 

Her palm caught on a napkin and she pushed it aside, eyebrows raising in surprise as she glanced down at what had been obscured by it. 

 

Scratched in the table, like text from an old scripture in perfect, curving and swooping manicured writing; “Victoria Chase was here”. 

 

“It’s a shame what happened,” Rachel muttered, cutting Max out of her daze. “So young too.” 

 

“What do you mean?” Max frowned, Chloe looked at her incredulously, “You were locked in your dorm all month and you didn’t hear? Hang on..” She bounced out of the booth and grabbed something from a box on the bar stool, returning promptly and sliding off white printer paper to Max. 

 

In big, black bold letters read “MISSING” at the top of the paper, followed by a yearbook photo of one Victoria Chase. Missing for three weeks.

 

In her mind, Max thought, Rachel Amber was supposed to be there. Out loud she muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

* * *

 

 

“Look, I don’t know what the big deal is,” Chloe said finally, pacing around American Rust, “why are we here? What is the big reason we had to ditch that welcome home party I worked so hard on-” 

 

“So it WAS your idea,” Rachel teased, Chloe scowled. 

 

Max ignored them, wiping her balmy hands on her pants as she stared down at her feet, loose soil building up on a mound. “This is going to sound crazy” She said shakily, “but there’s a dead body under that.” 

 

Chloe looked at her, then at Rachel, “Um Max there’s no way, we’re here like twenty-four seven, no one would just dump a body here while there are witnesses… That’s like, murderer one-oh-one.” 

 

“Look you just gotta.. You have to believe me Chloe,” her voice shook as she fell to her knees and started digging frantically. 

 

“I don’t even get why you’re all shook up about that Chase-Bitch, she was always pushing you around and treating you like shit until she found out Rachel was your friend. She was a bully Max, she was the reason Kate tried to kill herself.” 

 

“Chloe, that missing person could have been anyone, it could have been me. Nobody who was close to Mark Jefferson was safe.” Rachel offered, getting to her knees to help Max. Max almost threw up, almost spat out that it  _ was _ her one time. It was. 

 

“Then it's a good thing you got out of here before it was you.” Chloe growled anxiously. Crossing her arms, “Look I really don’t like this shit, if there really is a dead body here let's just leave it.”

 

“Chloe-” Max stammered finally breaking dirt, hands catching against plastic. She fell backwards as the familiar stench reached her nose. 

 

“Oh shit.” Rachel half-coughed, half-threw up in her mouth. “Shit this smells so bad Chlo, it has to be..” 

 

“I’m not going to check!” Chloe covered her mouth, eyes wide in surprise. Max wasn’t sure if it was because there was a dead body actually in front of them, or if it was because Max was right. Maybe it was both, but Chloe gawked at Max in a mix of disgusted shock and disbelief. 

 

Max’s eyes darted between Chloe and Rachel, she swallowed and decided she’d seen more than enough dead bodies in her lifetime. She searched her bag, the other two glancing at her curiously. 

 

In her hand, Max gripped a photo of three young women beaming back at her. 

* * *

 

 

“Hey, Earth to Major Max.”

 

Max stumbled backwards, rubbing her eyes. “Not now Chloe, gotta go.” 

 

Rachel and Chloe glanced at her in utter surprise as she grabbed her camera from Chloe’s hands and darted out the doors. She glanced at the time, knew enough about Victoria Chase that she knew where she would be, what class she’d be sitting in. Max thanked Chloe internally for being a bad influence in this reality and forced her to skip class, it was 10 minutes until their next class, and in 10 minutes Victoria Chase would be sitting in Mark Jefferson’s photography class. In seven hours Victoria Chase would not be seen again. 

 

It took three weeks for the blonde teen to be found, all by the chance of Max Caulfield having dug up Rachel Amber in a different reality. Max would make sure that would never happen. 


End file.
